Back from darkness
by Mint
Summary: Aerith will look for Cloud with Leon's help, but he will be a new challenge for her as they'll start falling for each other. Will Cloud be too late? What if only one of the two heros can survive? CloudAerithLeon and Rinoa?
1. Drowning myself in your gaze

Back from darkness  

First chapter: Drowning myself in your gaze

            "Aerith?" Yuffie softly called opening the door of the dark room where Aerith was resting, for two hours in the middle of the evening, without making any noise, worrying Yuffie. "Aerith?" She called again, hearing nothing but the slowly breath of the sleeping girl. Suddenly something moved and she heard the sound of the sheets of Aerith's bed. "Are... Are you awake?" She asked insecurely.

            "I am now..." Aerith said in a soft yawn. Yuffie grinned and headed to the window. In a quick gesture she drew the curtains, letting the light in, to open the glowing green eyes of the girl on the bed. She raised her hand to her eyes, covering them. 

            "Wake up sleeping beauty!" Yuffie giggled always in a cheerful way. "It's such a beautiful day!" 

            "I wish I could say the same thing with all that happiness..." Aerith mumbled looking away. Surely, remembering the reason for all her sadness and tiredness. Yuffie blinked at her friend, her smile fading away from her lips. 

            "Aerith... I know you miss him... But... He..." _Is not coming back..._ Yuffie cut off, not wanting to continue, afraid of the impact it would take on her. Aerith looked up at Yuffie and sighed.

            "Please... Maybe... Maybe I'm overreacting about all this... but I can't stop thinking about him!" A tear came to her eye as the thought of him. "I don't know how to explain...

            "I think you are so strong... Even missing him, you try your best to live smiling every day!" Yuffie admired, but Aerith didn't think the same way. _I smile because I don't want to look weak amongst you and the others, although I find that so difficult for me to control... _"I know something that might cheer you up!" Yuffie grinned looking at the confused green eyes of Aerith. "Squall... is worried about you! He was the one asking me to come and see if you were ok!" Aerith felt her cheeks hot and tried to cover her face looking down, letting her hair cover most of it. She wandered why she was feeling like that. _After all... Leon is my friend! He... has the right to be worried... I think! _

            "Yuffie... Why would that cheer me up?" She asked trying not to sound very interrested. But then, the image of Cloud filled her eyes. "Never mind that..." She added quickly. _Why am I like this? Is it because Leon reminds me so much of Cloud? Is it because, when I'm talking with Leon... __Something in his blue eyes make me remember him?_

            "Hum..." Yuffie started thoughtful. "Right... Get up now! Let's meet Cid and Squall downstairs!" Aerith sighed and rose to her feet. Yuffie left her and the girl taking off her white long t-shirt, she used for sleeping, dressed her soft pink dress. Looking at the mirror, she tied her hair in a pony tail with her pink ribbon. Watching closely her image she shook her head. _There's no reason to look at the mirror..._

***

            "She will be here in a minute!" Yuffie informed approaching Leon and Cid. Leon sighed relieved. _I wander why I worry so much about her!  Noticing how Leon was motionless, Yuffie grinned at the boy. "You hide really bad that you worry about Aerith!"_

            "And what is that supposed to mean?" Leon asked cooly at the giggling girl. 

            "It means that you and Aerith-

            "Were you talking about me?" Aerith's sweet voice cut off, thankfuly for Leon who looked away trying to hide his blushing cheeks. _What's wrong with you Leon?! She's not even special for you!  _He kept saying to himself. 

            "Oh yeah! But never mind! We weren't talking bad stuff about you!" Cid said smiling at the sleepy girl in pink. 

            "I'm glad!" She said raising a hand to her chest. "Listen... I'm going to take a walk, ok? Just to get some fresh air!" The others looked at her in surprise but she had all the right to leave whenever she wanted. Leon watched her while she was crossing the room towards the door. His greyish blue eyes looking atentively at her long brown hair, her slim white body... Her gestures, touching carefuly on the door knob and rounding it slowly. He caught himself lost in Aerith. Realizing that, he quickly shook his head and passed a hand through his brown hair.

            "Squall Leonhart! You were checking Aerith out!" Yuffie said making sure Aerith had left. Leon glared at her.

            "I wasn't!" He replied back at the girl.

            "Oh you were! I saw it!" She answered back at him. He rolled his eyes and walked away.

            "Whatever..."

            ***

            Looking up at the sky, Aerith breathe the air as the wind tenderly waved her fringe. _It's such a beautiful day! Yuffie's words echoing through her mind, although to Aerith it was just another empty day. She started walking, passing by the item shop, climbing up the stairs and arriving to the next district. People she recognized passing by her... Some smiled at her, others she kept going on with their lives._ I have to live on with my life... Yuffie is right... I can't stay like this! I miss him, but..._ A voice, calling her name, breaking her thoughts. She turned to see who it was._

            "Aerith!" The voice called again. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was. Leon approached her with the same coldness of his across his face. She remained stunned. "Hum... You... dropped this bracelet on the floor when you left." He said handing her a silver bracelet. She looked at it for a second and her eyes met his. 

            "Thanks... I guess!" She said turning her back at him and walking away. Not expecting that reaction coming from her, he shrugged his shoulders and walked the other way. _Women!_

            "That.... idiot!" She mumbled to herself. It wasn't of her to have that kind of thoughts but his way of being, was driving her crazy. _Just because of my bracelet... But then again... What was I expecting?!_

            ***

            He sat on the couch with a heavy sigh coming out from his mouth. _Rinoa..._ It scared him the thought of never seeing her again... _Why? Why do this things only happen to good people? Why wasn't it me instead of her?  __We were so close that time and then, in a minute, all was lost... He squeezed his fists until it hurt, thinking about that day. __No... Forget about it... It's Past... But, what if I don't want it to be Past? A painful scream outside "woke him up". He headed to the street where he met Yuffie. _

            "A heartless!" She yelled pointing to the middle of the square where people were running around, screaming and panicking. He took out his sword from his belt and ran towards the dark being. Soon, with a slice, there was no heartless. 

            "What on hell was a heartless doing here? One heartless!" Cid came running to them. Leon shrugged his shoulders and Yuffie looked motionless at the place where the heartless had been. 

            "Something is wrong..." Leon finaly said, breaking the silence, a thing that he appreciated but it was not necessary in a time like this.

            "Do you have any idea of what brought it here?" Cid asked curiosly. Leon shook his head and, strangely, Yuffie said nothing. 

            Aerith, aware of the panic from other people arrived next to them, breathless from the running.

            "What happened?" She asked putting one hand on Yuffie's shoulder to recover her breath. Yuffie shivered as the touch of Aerith's hand, noticed by Leon. 

            "One heartless..." Cid informed with a confused expression forming in his face. Aerith stared at them, open mouth.

            "One heartless... But, just one? Why?" She asked to her friends though none of them knew what to say to the girl in pink. "Did anyone got hurt?" Cid shook his head. Something in the three of them was making her restless and nervous. _What's wrong with them? They seem so distant... _ 

            ***

            During dinner the silence became scarier, like it was threatening them to remain between the four. A shiver crossed Aerith's spine, making her tremble notoriously. She didn't like that silence... It made her unconfortable. Leon kept his lips pressed in a thin line, revealing nothing but doubt and insecurity. Not showing any concrete emotion. Yuffie, was in silence too, which was really not her. As for Cid, confusion was all he was showing them. The boys cleared the table and the girls washed the dishes. 

            "Yuffie..." Aerith started breaking the threatening silence. Yuffie didn't looked at her, she just kept washing the plate on her hands. "What's wrong between you and them?"

            "Nothing... Why do you ask?" Yuffie said, her voice shaking. Aerith closed her eyes for two seconds. Thinking of what could possibly be scaring them. Was it the heartless' "visit" what was causing all these trouble in their heads? 

            Yuffie, not making any noise, left them on the living room from the hotel, followed later by Cid. She took a step forward to leave Leon on his own, when she felt a hand stoping her moves. She looked back to see Leon holding tightly her arm. 

            "Do you have any idea of what happened today?" He asked, his voice roaring deep inside. She looked at his hand on her arm, avoiding his eyes. "One heartless attacked! It almost killed a person. And do you know what is worst? What is worst is the fact that if one could enter in Traverse Town... Others... can come in too... And if they attack Traverse Town... There's going to be a problem." He explained. She wandered why she hadn't thought about that. _How stupid of me! Of course..._

            "Leon... I'm scared..." She confessed, tears forming in her eyes. He let her arm free and touched her chin, making her look at him.

            "We are strong... We can protect this World. We just have to do some training to be prepared for the heartless." He calmed her with his words.

            "I just don't want it to happen again... I can't bare any more pain. I can't bare loosing people I love again." She said, this time, letting her tears fall down her cheeks. _So, she lost someone special too... He thought not moving his eyes from hers. _

            "If we train harder... We can beat them if they come. I swear it to you." He said, still in a motionless expression. She nodded once and looked through the window at the dark night outside. The enormous moon shining upon, iluminating the street at the back of the hotel. The water seemed white under the moonlight. 

            "I'll go sleep now. Thank you Leon." She said walking away from him. _Under his cold way... There's a sweet man after all. _She thought. Aerith had that gift to look deeper in anyone's soul and bring up the good in all the people. _I hope he's right... _

            "Aerith!" He called quickly. She looked back again and he gave two steps to her, but the unexpected happened. He tripped on the carpet, falling on Aerith. Both, on the floor. Their noses almost touching. _Cloud... _A tear fell again down her cheek.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Hi! I hope you like this first part! Aerith, Cloud and Squall are my favourite characters in all Final Fantasy series. Please send me reviews! I would really appreciate it! J  Tell me what you think please!

                                                           Love, 

                                                                      Mint

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	2. Who you really are, I will never know

**Who you really are... I will never know**

_________________________________________________

            Hi! First of all, I want to say thank you kokoronai, theyreallyloveme and ms.heartilly for reviewing! Thanks a lot! Oh! And ms.heartilly, I was thinking about really putting Rinoa in the story, but I wasn't so sure about it! And since you asked me to, don't worry, she will enter in the story too. In time, she will, I promise! ^-^

__________________________________________________________

            _What happened? Why did weakness took control over me? _Leaning against the cold white wall of her room, Aerith, sitting on the floor, hugged her legs to her chest and rest her forhead on her knees. 

            ~~

            "Cloud..."

            "What did you say?" Leon asked revealing confusion on his voice. She quickly sat, pushing Leon to get on all fours position. His right hand next to Aerith's waist, his left hand softly pressing the back of her right hand. His right knee in the middle of her legs and the other knee next to her right leg. She blinked at the sound of his voice and gasped silently, trying hardly not to blush. He watched her shook her head in an embarassed expression, causing his confusion to increase. She bit her lower lip and in a slight movement of her body she pushed the hand under his, away from him and got up to leave the confused boy, alone in the living room. Closing the door behind her, she felt her shoulders shaking like they never did before. Raising one hand to her mouth she slowly walked to her room.

            ~~

            _Why was I so stupid?! I could have, at least, said something to him... _She kept saying to herself, torturing her mind and soul. _What made me think of Cloud? What made me act like that? Now, he will think that I'm a complete... freak!  __No... Leon is a friend... He knows me... He won't think like that! Will he? She, at last, lifted her green eyes. From outside, the light of the street candles were faintly iluminating the room, softly showing the single bed with a red chinese bedspread covering it, the perfect brown closet where she keeps her clothes and the wooden chair at the corner, next to the window. Aerith observed it as if she was seeing those things for the first time in life, noticing every pormenor, drawing or colour the objects had. Trying to forget about her life.  _

            ***

            As the first ray of sunlight met his face, he took a step forward to the morning that was waiting for him. The night mist still in the air, the dew on the few plants Traverse Town had. He walked... His sword with him wherever he went. His thoughts... none... His mind was free at that moment. No problems, no worries, no feelings, nothing. Only the desire of training again, to pick his sword and fight again. The deserted streets were quite, just as he liked it. Silence, for him to focus on the practise he was going to do. Only his smooth steps in the morning could be heard. Arriving at the "cave", Squall Leonhart, took out his sword from his belt and closed his eyes. Concentrating all his strengths to gather on his hands, legs and heart. The sound of the water flowing was all he could hear and for him, it was all he needed to hear.

            ***

            "I can't believe you slept on the floor!" She heard a familiar voice surprisely telling her. She opened one eye and then the other just to see someone's feet in front of her face. One of the feet started to stamp loudly on the floor. Her eyes looked up to the person whose foot was disturbing her, and saw Yuffie with concern and worry drew on her childish face. Yuffie sat down next to her friend and shook her head. "What happened?"

            "Nothing..." Was all Aerith said. She placed both hands next to her head and effortly stretched her arms to get up, helped by Yuffie who was not convinced with her answer. "Where's Leon?" 

            "I haven't seen him yet!" Yuffie said finding her attitude rather strange. Aerith raised one hand to her forhead and let out a heavy sigh. Watching her, Yuffie placed her hands on her own waist and giggled. "Did you dream about Squall?" Hearing that coming from her friend's mouth, Aerith quickly looked away, again, trying to hide her blushing cheeks. "Oooooh.... I see... Well, anyway! I'm going to make our breakfast, ok? Meanwhile, you try to put a smile upon your face!" The girl said ready to leave the tired Aerith on her own world. Watching her go, Aerith shrugged her shoulders and undressed her pink dress. _She's right once again! I'm going to take a bath and... Smile!_

            ***

            His black jacket somewhere on the floor, away from his practise area. He kept slicing the air with all his might. A sweat drop fell down his forhead, passing on his scar. The same scar that marked his life forever. The slightest memorie of the fight which made him that dreadful pain on his forhead was all that was needed to leave his heart full of pain from the dark Past he had. But then again, it made him remember of the reason he had for living. Rinoa... He tried not to think about her, because now that she was gone, he had nothing more to do in the world. _Now that I will not see her again... __What is keeping me here? _

            "Leon..." A voice brought him back to reality. He broke his lively movements with his sword and looked back at the place where he heard his name being called. Seeing who it was, his sword slipped out of his strong hand to lay inches away from his feet. Aerith watched his reaction and looked away from his deep blue eyes. "I... just wanted to say that I'm sorry... For reacting the way I did, the night before..." She managed to say between her ashamed voice.

            "I'm the one who should apologize... But, I just want you to know that I didn't do it on purpose..." He said not looking away from her face. Her hands met and her fingers playfully moved, revealing unease. Noticing that, Leon cooly shrugged his shoulders and grabbed his sword. "Forget about it, ok?"

            "Yes..." She replied looking up with a rosy smile crossing her pink lips. _So... I was worried about how he would react, but after all, it was like it was nothing! He is a box full of surprises_! "Say... Have you been here for a long time?" She asked not letting the conversation between them fade away like it was used to do. She wondered how mysterious he was. How she wanted to know more about him.

            "Yeah..." He finally said returning to his training. She admired the way he moved with his sword. The way his sudden gestures crossed the air. _He must be a very good fighter... just... like him... God! How I miss Cloud... _

            "And what about you? Have you been there for a long time?" He asked back at the girl, this time, in a blue long dress. She snapped back to reality and smiled.

            "You mean... watching you?" She asked getting more confortable with her interresting friend. He nodded without smiling. "I've just arrived!" She giggled giving three more steps closer to him. Looking at the white t-shirt he was wearing, a t-shirt that let her see his musculate body underneath, she swallowed silently. "We should fight against each other." Hearing those words coming out from her mouth, his whole body froze. "I mean... for practise!"

            "You're out of your mind! I will never fight you!" His eyes widened at the giggling girl.

            "You scared?" She provocked placing her arms behind her back. His expression turning to surprise and admiration. She giggled one more time. "I'm kidding Leon... I would never use my magic against you! Not even during practises!"

            "Oh I see... So, you're the one who is scared!" He said putting his sword on his shoulder, but yet, not giving her a smile. 

            "Guess I am after all!" She smiled getting closer to him.

            "Aerith... Who is Cloud? I thought I heard you saying that name last night..." Leon asked changing the subject. He was also interrested in discovering more about her, although he didn't show it. Aerith's smile faded away really fast and her face turned pure white. Noticing that, he cursed himself to ask her that question whatever the answer was. 

            "Cloud Strife... He is the most important person in my life..." She said, staring blankly into space not knowing what to say next. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out from it.

            Staring seriously into his eyes, she raised one hand in front of his face. Slowly, she touched his scar, feeling his breath on her wrist, she studied it with her hand. His eyes not leaving hers. But in an abrupt shake of his head, as if he had finally noticed what she was doing, he gave two fast steps away from her warm touch.

            "Don't ever do that again!" He yelled. She, staring at his threatening and yet scared eyes, gasped, again not knowing what to say or do. "Leave me alone!"

            "I'm sorry Leon..." She said with her voice lowering as she was speaking. Aparently, the apology wasn't good enough for him. Turning his back at her he touched  his scar himself. "I didn't know-"

            "Leave me alone..." He cut her off. But she didn't give up on him. Determined to find the reason why he was like that, she walked towards him again. This time, she touched his shoulder and he moved away once more. "I asked you to leave, didn't I Aerith?"

            "Damn it Leon! We seemed like friends a minute ago, and now... This! Why are you acting like this? I don't understand you!" She snapped at him, almost knowing how useless those words she was saying were for him.

            "There's nothing for you to understand about me! Besides, even if there is, it's none of your business!" He shouted at the girl whose heart was beating like crazy. "Why can't you just leave in peace?"

            "I said I was sorry! It won't happen again... I promise. You just don't have to get that mad!" She said realizing that his hands where squeezed and that they were shaking dangerously. She approached him and carefuly touched one of his hands to calm him down. He remained in silence, shaking for no explainable reason. A cold shiver trespassed her body.

            "Ahem!" They heard Cid's voice breaking the moment, so the couple quickly moved away from each other. "I hate to interrupt you two... But we have a problem."  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's all for this chapter! I hope you liked it... Please review!

Until the next one! ^-^

                                                                 Love,

                                                                           Mint

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	3. Mind if I join you?

**Mind if I join you?**

            Running just as fast as they could... Despising the tiredness and their hurt legs... Heartless in Traverse Town... They were there... But this time, they were more than only one. The screams bacame louder as they were approaching the place where they were attacking. Their breath was iregular as they run, as if it was threatening to leave them. Arriving at First District, they saw them. A group of heartless consuming people's hearts. 

            "Aaaahhhh!" They heard Yuffie screaming. She lively threw her boomerang weapon to some dark monsters and they vanished in the thin air. "Where were you?!" She yelled in despair. Leon threw himself to the fight, slashing the dark beings that were all aroud the streets. Cid, with his spear sliced and cut all the heartless he could find on his way. As for Aerith, she kept using her magic to eliminate the terrible darkness. But she didn't see one approaching from behind. It jumped to Aerith's neck and bit her. One scream was lost in her throat and instead it came out a pleading gasp.

            "AERITH!" Leon screamed at the top of his lungs. Consumed by fear, he finished off the few heartless that were left with one single attack from his sword. Throwing his sword away, he ran to the place were Aerith was laying, breathing effortly with her hand upon her neck, covering the blood that was dangerously pouring to the ground and down her hand. She wanted to breathe, but couldn't. He sliced the heartless with no mercy and kneeled next to her  almost automaticly, he pressed his lips on hers and blew, giving her his own breath. Feeling his warm touch between the coldness she was feeling, she felt life embrancing her again. After that, darkness came.

            ***

            She slowly walked through the old church of Midgar, kneeling on her flower bed. A sudden crack behind her, made her turn her attention. Looking at him, she smiled. He slowly walked through the wooden path between the wooden benches and stared down at her. She rose to her feet and gave him her hand which he took on he's. Staring again at his cold blue eyes, she felt her eyes watering. He was back... He was back to her. They sat down on the flower bed and he tenderly kissed her soft lips, in a kiss that grew more passionatly. He placed his hands on her shoulders and slowly they started to remove the shoulder straps from her pink dress. Her hands studying his back, softly taking off his clothes. A gasp was heard through the forsaken place. They felt each other skin and their bodies made a pact. 

            "I never gave up..." His words echoing on her head.

            ***

            "Oh my God! She's waking up!" Aerith heard Yuffie's voice next to her. She carefuly opened her glowing green eyes to see Yuffie's head smiling brightly at her. For instances, Aerith didn't want to wake up. She was with him again. Why did she wake up... to miss him desperatly?

            "What happened?" Aerith asked feeling a little dizzy. Yuffie grinned and caressed her long brown hair. 

            "You were attacked by a heartless... But we took you to the old wizard Merlin! And he healed your wound. Oh, but I must let you know that if it wasn't for Leon you would be dead by now..." Yuffie confessed sitting next to her friend. "He gave you his breath for you to live."

            "Where is he?" Aerith asked between a sigh.

            "Outside... I guess." Yuffie said, and with that, Aerith kissed Yuffie's cheek and got up to leave Yuffie and find Leon. "I don't understand this girl..." She crossed her arms to her chest.

            Once outside, she felt the warm breeze of the night on her face. It was good to feel... After walking for about five minutes, she found Leon sitting on one wall from the Third District. She approached him and he didn't even bother to look at her. She sat next to him and sighed.

            "Thank you..." She whispered to the cold hearted Leon right next to her. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

            "I couldn't have done nothing for her... I wouldn't bare the same pain again." He replied dreamly. She looked at him, not understanding his sudden words. 

            "You... lost someone important too?" She found herself asking. He sighed heavily.

            "I don't want to talk about it." He cooly said for her own surprise. _You wouldn't understand..._

            "Fine... Just listen to me then..." She glanced at him and he remained in silence, waiting for her to speak. "There's someone out there..." She looked up at the dark starry sky and took a deep breath. "Looking for me... And I want to find him."

            "Why are you telling me that?" He asked cutting her off.

            "Because I need your help!" She replied.

            "Look... I lost someone special to me too. But I know that I won't see her again! What makes you think he is out there for you?! Get over with it! We were the only ones from Hollow Bastion who lived! Damn it!" He coldly shot at the girl. She looked away.

            "Stop it! I know... he is alive... And the person you lost... She cold be somewhere also! I have hope!" She insisted. "We must never give up Leon!"

            "Do you think I gave up when I realized she was dead?! Do you think I gave up, knowing that I have nothing more to live from?!" He shouted. "You know NOTHING about hope! You hear? NOTHING! I don't even know why you're telling me that!"

            "Because I trust you! Because you made me see that all problems can be solved! But now... I guess I was wrong. I believed in something that wasn't true. If you don't want to help me, don't do it. But I'm going to leave Traverse Town and look for him. No matter what.... I'm sorry to take your time." She said getting up and started walking away from him. A tear fell down her cheek. 

            "Wait! Aerith!" He said running up to her. She turned back and glared at him. He sighed and placed one hand on his waist. "Look... I'm sorry... I didn't know what I was saying. You... I trust you too... More than a friend..." She looked up at his eyes and a smile formed on her pink lips. As if one strong force was pulling their bodies, they leaned against each other. Their lips met.

            "No..." She broke off in a whisper. "I'm sorry. I... just can't." With that, she turned around and ran away.

***

            Resting his head on his hands and leaning his back against a cold wall from Halloween Town, he sighed. Thinking about where to look for his Light. But one thing he was sure, he would never rest his heart until he finds what he is looking for.

***

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi! Thank you for the reviews!

Hum... I think Cloud will be one main character in the next chapter! About time, right?

Please review! ^-^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	4. Dearest

**Dearest**

            The next day, Leon woke up early in the morning. He went downstairs carefuly and silently, making sure he wouldn't wake up any one. Once he reached the living room, someone was already there, sitting on the couch with her legs crossed..

            "Yuffie...?" He said staring at his friend that looked up at him with a serious expression on her face. "Is something wrong?"

            "Read this." She coldly said, getting up and handing him a written paper. "A letter... from Aerith." Leon paused for a moment, looking confused at Yuffie and then, he slowly started reading the letter.

            _Leon, Yuffie and Cid,_

_            I'm sorry to say these things like this... in a letter, but I just couldn't say it directly to you. Guess... I'm not that strong after all... _

_            Yuffie, _

_            Please forgive me for not telling you I was going to leave Traverse Town alone... But I feel that the reason I'm doing it, is something that I must do alone... I don't want you to get involved in my problems too... You have a lot to worry about already. You've always been my best friend... Don't worry about me! I'll be fine!_

_            Cid, _

_            What can I say...? I'll miss you! I'm taking one of your gummy ships so I can travel to other worlds. I'm sorry for not asking first, but please understand my position. Please take care of those two! They need you around, specially Yuffie!_

_            Leon,_

_            I won't hide the fact that I was afraid of how our relationship would be if I continued there with you... It's funny though... People always tell me not to run away from our problems, to face the surprises life gives us, always with opened arms... and I'm doing the opposite. I'm going to look for Cloud alone... But I want you to know that the person you lost... she can be out there as well... _

_            We'll meet again, I promise. _

_             So... Until the day we meet again...To you all... Thank you._

_                                                                                                       Aerith_

            After reading the letter, Leon looked back at Yuffie and sighed.

            "We're leaving Traverse Town." He only said.

            "Why?" She asked with her eyes widening of surprise by the way he acted.

            "We're going after Aerith. She can't be out... there, all by herself!" He said, his heart beating fast.

            "But-

            "You don't want to go, then stay! All I know, is that I'm not gonna let Aerith alone when heartless can attack at any time. It's true she can use magic, but she's alone!" 

            ***

            Cloud walked through the crowded city of Olympus. His eyes cold, his face motionless... People passing by him and yet it was like he had nobody near. His huge sword always with him. Totally away from reality, he didn't realize he was being followed by someone's eyes.

            ***

            "So this is... Wonderland..." Aerith sighed, getting up from the fall through the deep hole. She walked forward, passing by the strange hallway, every second thinking about her friends. And entering in a small room, she saw someone there. A boy, a duck and a... dog. They looked at her. "Hum... Hi." She said.

            "Hello! I'm Sora and these are Donald and Goofy." The boy introduced cheerfuly. She smiled and nodded.

            "I'm Aerith."

            "So... What brought you here?" Sora asked curiously. 

            "I'm looking for a person."

            *** 

            He continued walking, not really caring about the direction he was taking or where to go, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

            "Hi, I'm Hades and I need a favour from you. Would you fight in the tournament so you can kill a certain person for me?" The Greek God asked quickly. Cloud looked a little confused a him.

            "What do I win with it?" He coldly asked, not looking away from the God's eyes.

            "Ooooohhh... I like you." Hades laughed. "Well, let's put it this way... What do you want most in your life?"

            "....... My light."

            *** 

            "What do you mean, she's gone?!" Cid asked not believing in a word Yuffie was saying. She shook her head and showed him the letter Aerith wrote. He took it from her hands and read it at once.

            "What are you guys waiting for?! We have to hurry up!" Leon groaned impatiently.

            "Why are you like that?" Yuffie started. "I thought you were cold and distant and a person that didn't really care about us. But now... you are so anxious to find Aerith. After what she wrote in the letter... I thought you wouldn't care anymore..."

            "You were wrong then." Leon said avoiding their gazes. _I can't let anything happen to her... I wonder what made me change that much._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi! I understand you may be  a little confused about the pairings... But it will all come in time, don't worry. Yap it will! Thanks for the reviews! Send more please! And some ideas too... eheheh

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	5. Reencounters

**Reencounters**

            "Water!" She yelled raising her staff above her head, spinning it on her hand and poiting it to the enemy . A thin ribbon of water surrounded her own body to then reach and hit hardly the heartless. She felt tired but she had to continue fighting. On her left, she heard Sora lively slashing the dark creatures with the keyblade. _I'm happy I found them... But I have to continue alone._

            "Are you ok?" The boy asked looking at Aerith for a moment. She turned at him, hitting one hertless with her long staff. 

            "I am! Do you need help?" She asked back. Sora only laughed continuing slashing and attacking the ones that would keep coming on his away. She smiled slightly at the boy's courage and strength. "Fire!" She called as a small fire ball appeared on her hand. The fire ball lifted in the air to stop on the top of her staff. From there the fire ball grew and went off to hit the heartless. 

            ***

            He looked out of the window of the gummi ship they were traveling. _Too many worlds... she could be anywhere now... How could I let this happen? How could one person change me like this? Yuffie is right... I wasn't like this... Until I started to know her better._

            "Don't worry. We'll find her. I'm sure we will." Yuffie's cheerful voice was heard behind him. He didn't move... he didn't want to move. She sighed and turned around to leave him alone... alone with his thoughts. But she stopped suddenly and looked down at the floor. "But you know... you're not the only one missing her." She said seriously.

            "It was my fault she left." He finally said. "If I only had said I could help her... but I didn't know she would go alone!"

            "Don't worry about that now." Yuffie quietly crossed her arms to her chest. "She would probably go alone anyway. Look... don't go so hard on you ok? We'll find her. And she's strong... She can take care of herself." She finally said, and left him.

            "I know..." He whispered.

            "Hey! We arrived at.... Olympus Coliseum!" Cid's voice was heard.

            ***

            "Olympus!" Sora exclaimed breathing in and looking up at the huge Coliseum in front of them. 

            "There's a tournament going on." Aerith pointed to some advertisement papers. The trio scanned it with their enthusiastic eyes.

            "Let's enter!" Sora suggested lively. "What do you guys say?" 

            "Yeah! We could! It would be great for us to train a little more." Donald agreeded with the boy. Goofy nodded and laughed in his silly way.

            "Are you sure you guys want to enter?" Aerith softly asked. They nodded and jumped excited. The girl nodded and smiled at her new friends. "Good luck for you then... I've seen you guys fighting... I'm sure you'll do fine! I'll be watching from the stands!" 

            With that, she left them and headed for the stands to find a place from where she could have a good view to the arena. On her way, her shoulder hit another person's shoulder. She turned back to apologize to the person but the girl with whom she had ran into only smiled at her and continued on her way. _The tournament is about to begin. Please take your seats. _A man's voice spoke widely. Aerith rose her hand to her chest, she felt some energy flowing from outside the arena. It was probably nothing but she needed to be sure... Those kind of strong feelings that hit her like a sudden pain in her chest, usually only hit her when something bad is about to happen... she had felt it since she was a child. Cetras had that kind of power. So, she ran outside in a rush. Outside the doors of the Coliseum, her glowing green eyes searched everywhere only to find a dark figure in the corner... near the door which would lead outside that World. The dark figure lifted his head to look at her. Her hand covered her small mouth, her eyes watered softly when she realized who it was. He smiled at her evily, with his eyes full of evil pleasure... he had found her. 

            "I knew you would come."

            ***

            "What was that?" Leon asked. "That scream... didn't you hear it?"

            "I heard! It was a woman's scream... coming from outside." Yuffie pointed to the entrance of the Coliseum. 

            "Ah man! Now that it was about to begin!" Cid cursed mumbling. The three ran outside to find Aerith in the arms of a man dressed in black. 

            "Sephiroth!" Yuffie gasped, her eyes widening of fear. Leon gritted his teeth and charged to attack the silver haired man. Sephiroth pushed Aerith aside, making her fell on the ground, struggling for life. Leon attacked with his sword but Sephiroth dodged and for instances their powerful swords met its blades. Yuffie ran towards Aerith to help her friend. 

            "He... wanted... to... take... m-me... to... darkness..." She said between gasps. Yuffie looked at her and back to the fight. "I... saw Cloud." She said, making Yufiie turn to her attention at her again. "I saw.... his.... his image..."

            "No... he wanted to trick you." Yuffie said but Aerith shook her head. They heard the tournament beggining. It all happened so quickly... voices cheering... Leon screaming and Sephiroth laughing. In a brief moment Aerith fell into a deep sleep.

            ***

            Cloud Strife was there... in the middle of the arena. His oponent entered and his blue eyes stared at them. Sora looked back at Cloud. _This will be tough..._ The boy thought quietly.

            From a high place in the stands, a person attentively watched every single move Cloud made. The slim figure passed a hand through the brown hair and smiled.

            ***

            Sephiroth looked at him and smirked. Leon glared and ran at Sephiroth, his sword in his grip and raised it to meet Sephiroth's sword. Sephiroth jumped back away from Leon, releasing both of each other from their swords. Sephiroth started circling around Leon who didn't move, he just kept looking at his movements.

            "You remind me of someone..." Sephiroth started. "A loser..."  Leon ran at him and swung his sword at him. Sephiroth moved as fast as he could to avoid being hit, but he felt his arm sting rapidly so he glared back at Leon. Sephiroth swung his sword at him trying with all his strenght to hit Leon but their swords only locked together again. Leon brought his sword away from Sephiroth's, but he was faster and punched him on the stomach. Leon coughed blood. He wiped it with from his mouth with the back of his hand and glared back at Sephiroth. Leon swung his sword again and Sephiroth jumped back, followed by Leon , who this time, slightly  cut his leg.  His hands were now covered with Sephiroth's blood. Leon had marked him with his strenght. Sephiroth twirls his sword at him to slash his chest. Leon moved backwards but Sephiroth's sword still caught part of his chest. Sephiroth smirked and in a brief moment, he was gone in the shadows.Through his cold and wounded blue eyes, Leon looked at the unconscious girl and smiled slightly for seeing her safe. It had passed days, weeks, or even years since he last smiled and just for seeing her sleeping safely in Yuffie's arms, he smiled. He fell on his knees, his sword laying beside him. The painful cut Sephiroth had made on his chest was hurting him so much that he felt like he was going to die. But he couldn't... not right now. 

            ***

            Cloud walked out of the arena, when he felt someone stopping on his way. He lifted his blue eyes to look at the person who was staring at him. She was about his age.

            "I watched you fighting... You remind me of someone I knew..." The girl said. "Do you know someone named Squall?" 

            "No." Cloud said starting to walk again. But the girl stopped him by placing one hand on his arm. "I've answered you. I have more important things to do now. Would you please let me go?" He coldly said freeing his arm from her hand. 

            "I'm sorry. I thought you could help me." The girl dressed in blue said. "Guess I was wrong." 

            "Look... I need to find someone too." He said understanding the girl since he was looking for the person he loved above all things in the Universe. "I can't waste my time now. I have to speak with Hades."

            "He promised you he would find who you were looking for too?" The girl asked looking down at the floor. 

            "Yeah..." He nodded. 

            "He said he would lead me back to Squall, but I had to make a deal with him first. Kill Sora. The boy with whom you fought. The keyblade master. But I couldn't do it... so I decided to keep on looking for him on my own." The girl confessed. He noticed her eyes were watering. 

            "Don't worry. You'll find him." Cloud said passing by her to leave.

            "Wait! We can look for them together!" The girl said. 

            "Listen..." Cloud sighed impatiently. "I don't think you should come. I can't take care of you, I can't protect you because I have to find Aerith. And that's all. I can't be delayed." He said, feeling he needed to be with Aerith more than anything.

            "But I can fight too! I promise I won't bother you. It's just that... I've passed too much time alone..." She said. "Please..."

            "Then... I just want you to know that I'm not going to be your bodyguard." He said looking away from her.

            "I understand... Thank you." She said smiling a bit. "I'm Rinoa."

~~~~~~~~  

Sorry for updating so late!!! Thanks for the reviews! 

Review more please!! ^^ 

~~~~~~~~


	6. Trust me

**Trust Me**

            "Watch your left!" Cloud yelled while slashing the heartless, that kept coming on his way, with his huge sword and at the same time looking at Rinoa to see how she was doing. Rinoa quickly turned left in time to see three dark creatures jumping towards her. She threw her Shooting Star at one of them and the weapon as it came back to its owner, slashed another heartlesss by the middle, as for the other one missing it was kicked by Rinoa's foot which made the creature go flying until it hit the ground lifeless. Cloud jumped and rounded on his feet until the two friends were back to back, surrounded by the creatures. Rinoa looked back at him and smirked. 

            "Let's go!" She said as she ran to fight. 

***

            Cid lighted his cigarette between his hands and led it to his mouth with his right hand. He looked out of the window, to the dark streets of Second district. Silence. There was no one around, no one passing by. He let out a small laugh. No wonder.. everyone was afraid to go out  at night these days or even by day light! It scared him though, what every single world out there was becoming with the heartless attacking. It had reached Traverse Town already. By this time he was used to see people walking around when it was safe to wander around those streets. But not anymore... And it scared him to know that it could get worse.

***

            Rinoa sat down on the cold ground of Third District back in Traverse Town and sighed exhausted. She looked up at Cloud and smiled. 

            "After a long fight with some heartless you still show no signs of tiredness..." She said shaking some dust off of her clothes, making Cloud stop and look at her for a second. "What?" She laughed slightly. He just shook his head and sat next to her, resting his arms on his knees and looking blankly at the sky. Rinoa stared attentively at his eyes and suddenly the memory of Squall crossed her mind. She quickly shook her head and laid her back on the floor, looking at the dark sky along with Cloud. "Tell me about the person you're looking for..."

            "Don't wanna talk about her now." He said cooly. The girl in blue sat up again and her eyes looked down at the floor. 

            "Squall... was just like you. He kept everything to himself.... His pain, his thoughts, his feelings. No one could ever take something out of him when he didn't want to. But you know what's funny? He was easy to read... he was like an opened book. When he felt embarassed he would show it even if it wasn't on purpose. His actions showed almost everything in him." She said calmly. "I'm not surprised if he's still somewhere out there... He's strong... And something tells me he's not that far away."

            "What makes you say that? They could be dead already." Cloud said, feeling despair surrounding him as his words came out that way. He knew that what he just said was pointless, meaningless and yet possible in a way. He rose to his feet and started walking calmly around the place. The girl stood up after him, but remained in the same place. She looked at the restless man and then lowered her head.

            "When we love someone so bad... we feel them right with us." She started, but Cloud turned back at her getting annoyed. 

            "Stop... Just stop talking...! I've been looking for Aerith for days, months! And everytime I get a little hope that maybe I'll find her in the next minute and... I... She's not there!" He bursted, not holding it anymore. In a sudden movement, his fist hit the rocky wall near them and due to the force Cloud put into it, small pieces of rock jumped out of the wall to fall on the ground, next to his feet. He looked at his hand, trying not to let it shake. A tiny line of red blood formed between his fingers but he didn't care, it didn't hurt. That was nothing compared with what he has been through in his life. 

            "Please calm down..."

            "How can I calm down?! I don't even know what I'm doing here... standing here... When she's out there... maybe alone... maybe lost. And I'm here without her... It just makes me wanna end it right now..." He said squeezing his fists tightly. She noticed him trembling and for a brief moment simpathy was shown in her brown eyes. 

            "Cloud.... Listen... I'm sure we'll find them. And please don't say you wanna end it... Then... our quest, our lives and their quest to find us would be in vain. Hey, I have an idea!! Let's go to the cafe at the entrace of this town!" She suggested jumping softly. She thought that maybe doing something that didn't imply thinking  about the people they were looking for, would distract him for a while and leave him free from the so many feelings he kept inside him, boiling inside him. "That way we could relax a bit and think about something else."

            "No... I don't wanna go to a Cafe!" Cloud Strife said crossing his arms and looking at her in disbelief. How could he go to a Cafe to relax in times like those? How could Cloud Strife even sit down for a moment without thinking of her?  But Rinoa Heartilly didn't give up. She gave two steps towards him and placed her arms behind her back, she smiled kindly, looking up at him.

            "Come on! It'll be good for us!" She said touching his arm friendly. He looked away from her.

            "No." He insisted subbornly.

            "Please?"

            "No."

            "Aaahh... You meanie!" She said spinning around on her feet so she wouldn't have to face him. As she turned around, Cloud noticed the little white wings drawn on the back of her blue clothes.

            "Ah so you're an angel! Thought so..." He said in a sarcastic smirk. She quickly turned back at him and placed her hands oh her waist. 

            "Hey!" She replied showing him a glare that turned into a warm smile. "Oh Come on now!" Rinoa picked his hand and dragged him towards the First District.

***

            "Is she gonna be fine?" Leon asked leaning his back against the wall of the red room where Aerith was resting peacefully. Yuffie nodded, making sure Aerith was warm in her bed. 

            "She just needs to rest a bit. And you should do the same Leon. I mean... you could have died there! And you're not totally recovered yet, it wouldn't hurt you to lay a bit and rest your mind too." She suggested turning to look at him. "I wonder what Sephiroth wants now... And the way he looked at Aerith? Huummm... Oh anyway! Are you staying here? Or are you gonna go to your room? I need to know if I have to stay with her just in case, but since you're here I-

            "Yuffie?" Squall interrupted the girl who blinked. "Shut up. I'll stay with her, don't worry. Go and have a nap yourself, I'll take care of Aerith."

            "Fine!" Yuffie said agressively as if she was mad at him for interrupting her. "If you need me, I'll be dowstairs....  with Cid..... doing something........ downstairs." As she said that, the door of the room closed behind the Ninja making the room silent again. Leon walked towards the windows and carefully draw the curtains so the light wouldn't wake the girl up. He turned to her and slowly sat on the floor next to her bed. He leaned his head on the small wooden bedside table and closed his eyes. Some minutes later, Aerith woke up with a headache. She sat up on the bed and looked around the bedroom figuring out where she was. Her thoughts went to one person then... Cloud Strife... She wondered what he was doing now, where he was, if he thinks about her... Only she knew how much he missed him... Her green eyes watered. _Cloud... I miss you so much... I need you...I have to find you so fastly... I sometimes feel like I can't take it anymore... But I have to continue... for you...   _Then, her eyes finally met Leon sleeping beside her bed. She smiled softly and pushing the blankets away from her, she rose to her feet, to sit next to him. Raising her hand softly, she touched his cheek as her delicated fingers started exploring his face. But suddenly, his eyes opened when he felt her touch and she quickly lowered her hand. 

            "Oh sorry I woke you up... I was just, I just..." Aerith started, but Leon just shook his head. He got up and helped Aerith to get up too. She smiled and without thinking, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for being there for me." As he heard that, Leon's lips formed a tiny smile, but it suddenly vanished as he stared into her glowing green eyes.

            "Yuffie is downstairs with Cid. We should go join them. They are worried about you." He said. But when he realized that Aerith was opening the door of the room to go meet the others he regreated ever saying those words. _Stupid! Why did I say that, and in that way! _

***

            Rinoa sat down on one of the chairs from the Cafe next to the items shop and Cloud followed her although he would rather be out of that place. 

            "See? It doesn't hurt you to sit down for a moment and rest." She said with a friendly smirk on her face. Cloud rolled his eyes.

            "It's not that it's gonna hurt!" The blond soldier replied crossing his arms to his chest, like he always does when he is annoyed with something or when he is thoughtful.

            "I just think you should relax a little. Oh and being more kind wouldn't do any bad either!" She said closing her eyes as she spoke. 

            "Well I think being kind is up to you. You see... It's not me having two little white wings drawn in my clothes." He teased her again, making Rinoa innocently glare at the young man.

            "Can you stop making fun of me and my 'little white wings'?" She asked him softening her brown eyes, and making him smile slightly at her reactions. For some reason, Cloud started to feel comfortable with her presence and the same thing was happening with Rinoa towards Cloud. He started feeling Rinoa as a friend. A friend he could count on, though his thoughts were still and only about Aerith.

***

            "Aerith!" Yuffie shrieked seeing her friend up. She wrapped her arms around Aerith and laughed. "I'm so glad you're recovered! You gave us quite a scare! For a minute, when you were with Sephiroth, I thought you were gonna pass out. But now you're here! You're fine! And with us again!" The girl grinned as she noticed a wide smile crossing Aerith's lips. 

            "But you know I'm not that fine..." Aerith whispered in Yuffie's ear. The girl looked tenderly at her friend, realizing she was talking about how she missed Cloud.

            "Hey we're gonna find him!" Yuffie whispered back in her ear. 

            "Are you really fine Aerith?" Cid asked worried. Aerith nodded and smiled at him. "Good... Then... What the hell were you thinking young girl!!??? Do you have any idea of the danger you've put yourself into?? I mean... taking one of my gummi ships alone, I can tolerate it but going to the Coliseum with some kids, oh by the way they said they won the tournament, that they would be fine and they hope you get better soon and to see you again; and running into Sephiroth!!"

            "Aah so sorry Cid!" Aerith bowed appologetically. "It won't happen again I promise!" 

            "Good... But if it does happen again, I want you to know that we're here for ya!" Cid said tapping softly her shoulder. The girl giggled at Cid. It felt great to have friends like them, that were there for her and cared about her like that, they were now her only family. The ones she could count on always. 

****

            "And then there's Zell! He's so funny! He's a little bit clumsy but he's so lively! And you know, he loves hot dogs. And the hot dogs of the Cafeteria of Balamb Garden were really great! But the poor Zell always gets there when the hot dogs are all gone!" Rinoa giggled as she told Cloud about her friends. They were walking through Second District, talking and meeting each other better. "I think Selphie, you know I've told you about her already, well I think she had a little crush on him... They would make a very cute couple. They have many things in common!" Rinoa always kept a smile upon her face as she was speaking. Cloud would talk about the moments he had passed with his friends, but for him, those were just memories, those times would never come back. It was always good to remember them once in a while, it made him smile for a few moments. But things move on, and he had to move on too... He couldn't be held back in the Past because that would never lead him to the Future. He would never forget those times because they were part of him, but he could only be glad they had occured. They had existed, they were there now, part of his Past. 

            "But you talk as if they were somewhere in another place but at the same time near. As if they belong here. You talk in the Present." Cloud interrupted her, a serious expression on his eyes. The girl paused and looked at him. 

            "Yeah... Because... How- How am I supposed to talk about them? There's only this way Cloud... They're not dead!" Rinoa's smile faded as she spoke now. Because he could be right. She could be just trying to find a way to believe they were somewhere around. She could be just fooling herself to believe they were fine when the opposite could have happened. "I... 

            "Look I'm sorry Rinoa... I shouldn't have said that..." Cloud interrupted again. They stopped walking. Rinoa shook her head and gave him a quick smile. 

            "It's ok, Cloud. Everything is possible right now." Without warning, Rinoa approached the blond man, he noticed her eyes were watering. She wrapped her arms around Cloud's neck. The soldier's blue eyes widened. _What..?! The hell? What am I supposed to do now?_ His arms slowly and nervously went up to her back. He wasn't expecting that coming from the girl. But as they were there, as he felt her head on her shoulder and tears falling down her eyes, he stopped thinking and friendly returned the hug.   

***

            Squall left the hotel they were staying  to be at his own for a moment. He needed to be alone. _I'm running away again..._ He said to himself. He felt it like that. Wanting to be alone he feels he's running away from people, from the world, from his friends, from Her.... In front of the main doors of the hotel, he walked up to the wall that leads to the stairs that go down to the large courtyard downstairs. The light from the lamps inside the Inn and the houses of the street, through the window panes, faintly iluminated him from behind. He placed his elbows on the wall, resting his arms. But something caught his eye. He turned right, in the direction of two people. It was dark where the two were. He would have thought it was just a normal couple going out for a night walk, if it wasn't for the girl's clothes. He walked alongside the wall till the stairs started to get a clear view of the two hugging. The girl had her back turned to him. He saw them... the little white wings... the unique wings drawn on her blue clothes... her brown hair... 

_Rinoa..._

He gave one step forward to meet her, but he stopped... How could she be hugging that guy? A stranger to him. And in that way? She never did that to him... Was she falling for that man? He didn't know... He didn't want to know... He turned back to the Inn. He didn't care anymore. He had to go back in. Back inside... Back to Her...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for the reviews and special thanks to Ms. Heartilly and to my dear friend  Maryn for the help!


	7. Recollections

Recollections

            He walked frenetically into the Inn. Passing the main hall with the dark red carpet along the floor. Towards Aerith's room. As he reached it, he stopped and looked down. What if she was sleeping? He didn't care... He needed her now. No matter what. A memory crossed his mind as he stood there. 

_            "Squall!" The girl dressed in blue called from the dormitories of Balamb Garden. "Squall wait up!" The boy turned around to face the beautiful girl running behind him. She reached him stopping to put her hands on her knees and catch her breath. "Oh you walk fast!" She giggled as she stood up again to look at his blue eyes that reminded her so much of an infinite sea of deep blue. He looked at her pale skin, he always thought she was beautiful but as the sunlight from outside softly hit the left side of her face, making her eyes an amber colour and her hair an immense light brown, he was sure he could stare at her for hours without getting tired. "Got anything important to do now?" She asked breaking the brief silence that had formed between the two. He just shook his head and sighed ready to tell her that he had to go to the library later, but as he opened his mouth to speak, she smiled and interrupted him. "Good! Because I'm taking You, mister Leonhart, to have lunch with me." She said, smiling softly while entwining her hand on his own. "Let's go!" She pulled him, never letting go of his firm hand. The SeeD looked down at their hands. It surprised him how perfectly well her hand fits his. _

            He breathed in, and hesitating for a brief second he knocked on the dark wooden door. Silence followed as he waited outside. Seconds later, he heard the door opening and revealing the brown-haired girl who smiled at him as she saw who it was. But he didn't wait for her to tell him to come in. He approached her and placed his arms around her body, embracing the confused girl in his arms. But she didn't question him. There was no need for that. Her arms made way to his neck and her head slowly rested on his left shoulder. He caressed her head with his hand and closed his eyes, allowing the pain and confusion he was feeling, to evaporate as he held the girl close to him. Long minutes passed by them as they remained there. Aerith's arms, softly and slowly as if they didn't want to obey her, went down to his chest and pulled him lightly, breaking the embrance. She looked up at him, her glowing green eyes never leaving his. 

            "Thank you Leon." She started, almost in a whisper. He didn't know what to say to her. He noticed she was feeling rather confused about his actions, but in truth, he felt confused too. "I... I need to go take a walk." The girl said for Leon's surprise. A second later, she had already left him.

***

            The door of the Inn clinked softly as the girl in pink closed it behind her. She gave one step forward and looked up at the dark sky as she sighed. The sky was starry, just like that night two years ago. 

            _"Hey! I know! Let's go on the gondola!" She said cheerfully to the motionless soldier in front of her. The date that night had a reason. Meeting Cloud... Not the cold-hearted soldier whose ice blue eyes made her shiver inside, but the man within the soldier. She wanted to reach his heart although it was harder than it seemed. He wanted to know her better too. But his cold personality kept him away from her most of the times. He wanted to fight it, but those feelings were stronger. She smiled tenderly and motioned for him to follow. And so he did, entering the wooden gondola with the girl that would change his life forever.  _

            She smiled remembering that night. She had had fun with him. His surprised face when he saw it was her knocking on the door... How he looked at her when she asked him to go on a date together... The way they both took part of a play, the several games they played... But now that Leon was there with her. Everything seemed different. 

            "Thank you for being here with me. It's like you were put here to keep me going." She heard a voice bringing her back to reality. That voice... she knew perfectly well. She walked towards the wall and looked down at the courtyard only to see... Him... with the girl dressed in blue. She had the slightest idea she knew her. Then it hit her... the same girl that had collapsed with her shoulder the other day in the tournament. Was she there with Him that day? Her eyes watered... Cloud wouldn't speak like that with anyone... Unless he had feelings for the person.... As she opened her mouth to call his name, darkness engulfed her.  

***

            Back in his bedroom, Leon walked up towards the mirror on his oak chest of drawers. He looked at his reflection on the mirror. He had grew his hair long because Rinoa wanted to see how it looked like. He doubted she remembered that now. She sure had changed a lot of things in him. The way he used to be. How he acted, how he looked like. But now, now she had changed herself. Aerith, on the other hand, would like to see his light brown hair short. He picked the scissors on the desk next to his bed and went back in front of the mirror. With his left hand, he grabbed his longer hair and then cut it. Aerith would see it short now. But he wasn't doing it for her... It was time to go back to the old Squall. No more Leon. Leon was weak, he let himself be hurt. Squall would never let that happen. Squall was stronger. _Rinoa changed you... for the best... She always wanted you to be someone who she could lean on... _Leon kept saying to himself._ And so you started to depend on her...  But she doesn't love you anymore! _

            "Leon!?" The voice of the ninja was heard from the door as she skipped into the room. She rose a hand to her mouth as she got a better look at him. His hair.... It... "What did you do?!" The man, looked back at Yuffie, her shocked expression threatening to make him smile, but no, Leon would smile... Squall would never smile.

            "Don't call me Leon. The name is Squall." He said with a cold expresion she had never seen in his eyes. Yuffie stared in complete disbelief.

            "But..." She began as her hand dropped from her lips. "But you always hate it when I call you Squall... _What's wrong with him? Why did he cut his hair? Not that it doesn't look good, but why? Why is he doing this? _She bit her lower lip in worry as she kept staring at him. His boots making soft clicking noises on the floor of the room, he brushed past her without a second look. He needed to go train. And train the right way. Leon trained alone. Squall knew better. The best way to train is to fight your rival. And-in lue of the fact that a rival is someone you hate and since Seifer was not present it was time to make a new one. He let himself smile on the inside. 

*** 

            "Seriously..." Yuffie left the Inn, placing her hands behind her head and crossing her legs, looking down. "I don't understand these people..." She walked down the stairs, and that's when she saw him... She had ran into her old friend. "OH MY GOD! IT CAN'T BE TRUE!" She tackled the blond-haired man to the ground. "Cloud? Cloud Strife? What in this freaking world are you doing here?! How did you come?! What are you doing dressed like this?! What happened to you after.. the you–know-what?! What are you doing here?! How long have you been here?! How come?! Why?!" She kept asking over and over again, between the 'heys' from the soldier. Rinoa looked at the two smiling. 

            _"Waaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!! Zell!" Selphie Tillmit called back at the blond boy who looked at her but not in time to see her coming... The girl grinned and jumped on his back. "Good morning!!!" She yelled in his ear. Rinoa, who was a few steps behind the two, giggled as she looked at them both. The boy cursing at the girl that just jumped on him. Selphie laughed and jumped off of Zell, back to the floor.  _

She shook her head and looked back at Yuffie and Cloud who had the girl by the back of her suspenders and she had a good hold of his cape. She stopped insulting the soldier to look up at Rinoa. "And who is she?" 

            "Oh! I'm Rinoa." The girl in blue introduced giggling. 

            Yuffie nodded and smiled back at the girl. "You know... Seeing Cloud again made me remember... the time when he fell down a chair at a bar we went in Costa del Sol! Oh my God you should have seen him! It was like this—

            "Don't even try!" Cloud struggled to shut the girl up but she was able to escape his effort to put a hand over her mouth. 

            "There was this sexy woman, like, dressed in a... let's just say, very attractive way. And Cloud was there, sitting at the bar. She approached him and started flirting Cloudy here. You should have seen his face! Sweatdrops all over and his embarassed look! She kept leaning against him and he kept going back until he hit the floor hardcore! I don't even have to mention how hard the members of Avalanche started laughing seeing that scene. Well, all except Aerith who walked to the girl and taking a good grip of the woman almost kicked the hell out of her" 

            With that, Rinoa laughed. How could it be? The mysterious and cold man she met had that other side after all. She laughed even more. _Guess no one is perfect._

As Yuffie finished her story, Yuffie wondered herself of where the flower girl might be. Cloud looked at his old friend, thinking about Aerith. 

            "How did you come here?" Rinoa asked before Cloud could really ask something to Yuffie.

            "Simple Rinny!" Yuffie began. "Our friend Cid flew a Gummi ship that he builds." Cloud looked down at her again.

            "Cid is with you?" 

            "Well, if he was with me, he would be standing next to me!" She sarcasticly replied. Cloud smaked her on the head and automaticaly the girl started calling him names, getting some answers from Cloud too. As for the girl in blue, she kept smiling all the way. _This must be the real Cloud. _"There's another passenger on board... He's name is Leon." Yuffie thought about what happened some minutes ago with him.

            "What's this Leon like?" Rinoa frowned an eyebrow.

            "Oh he's a loser... You wouldn't like him. Cid probably went after him..." Yuffie explained. But suddenly, a thought came to her mind. "Oh yah... There was somebody else with us." From the way she looked at Cloud, he thought it was probably Barret or Tifa. But Yuffie stood there, looking at him. Cloud looks back at her and so does Rinoa. The ninja looked away from him and sniffed. Cloud knew then... with a shiver crossing his body. Yuffie was talking about Aerith.

~~~~~~~~

Oh wow! A quick update! Eheheh!

You should thank Mazzie May! ^^ She's the one who made me write a new chapter that fastly! 

Thank you so so so much Mazzie May! For everything! I don't know what was of me without your help! Go read her works! It's awesome! ^-^

Anyway, thanks a lot for the lovely reviews! Hope you liked it! See ya next chapter! 


	8. A feather

**Beween Life and Death**

Aerith felt her body numb… She moved her right hand carefully and slowly only to feel the softness and freshness of grass underneath her. A soft breeze blew upon her, waving her golden brown fringe slightly. She felt good in that calm place. Not too far from where she was laying peacefully, she heard birds chirping, flapping their wings, flying on air. She breathed in and out heavily and opened her eyes softly to close them again due to the burning sunlight streaming down onto her from between the green leaves of the tree she was under. She blinked a couple of times before securely opening her glowing green eyes and stared at the leaves waving in the wind. She sat up, wondering where she was and how she got to that place. Looking around the flowered fields surrounding her, she got even more confused. That place was somehow familiar and yet so strange to her.

"So you have woken up." She heard a voice she perfectly recognized saying from behind her. She looked down to the ground, not bothering to look back. She could almost feel the smile forming in his lips as she didn't look back. Passing her strength to her hands, she pressed them to the grassy ground and got up, stretching her arms above her head. She smiled and looked up to the blue clear sky above them. She was no longer afraid of him, she no longer feared him like she used to. Now, he was more like a support for her. A person like her.

"Sephiroth... Why did you bring me here?" She asked picking up some yellow flowers from the ground. Behind her, she felt his eyes leaving her for a moment to look at the horizon of the immense green of the fields all around. She smiled, she didn't need to know.

* * *

Afraid that Squall would do something stupid after seeing him rushing out of the Inn with the muscles of his face contracted as if he was ready to kill someone, Cid followed him to the training cave where he was heading. Once inside, Cid saw Squall take out his sword and hold it tightly in his hands.

"Something wrong kid?" Cid asked approaching the brown haired man. "Hey you cut your long hair! Looks good!" Turning back quickly, Squall sparred against Cid and he blocked his attack with his long spear. Squall was trying a little harder than usual to beat Cid. But Cid was better than what Squall expected. He just kept blocking and parrying. And all the while they were fighting, Cid talked about someone he cared about. He told Squall about what he had with Sherra, without actually saying her name, making Squall kinda pissed. How can Cid be doing two things at once? Blocking his attacks and still talking about his romance.

* * *

"Where is she Yuffie?" Cloud asked almost in a hiss. The young ninja shrugged and looked at Rinoa.

"Rin, I'm calling you Rin!" Yuffie said.

"I heard that." Rinoa giggled, looking back at the ninja. She admired the way she was so cheerful and how she felt so ease around Cloud and how she could bring the real Cloud up and not just the cold ex-soldier.

"Yuffie, I don't have time for that now, where is Aerith?" Cloud asked again, this time, starting to shake with impatience. The girl shrugged again, but fearing Cloud would burst right there into yells, she patted his shoulder to calm him down a little.

"She must not be too far from here, come on we'll find her!" The girl said. "Come with us Rin!"

* * *

Aerith continued picking up flowers and messing with them as the mysterious figure of Sephiroth kept standing behind her. She talked to him. She smiled as she talked about the sudden dilemma with Cloud and the 'Woman in Blue' as she calls Rinoa. She, then, looked out the corner of her eyes to the dark angel.

"But you knew. Didn't you? You knew that nothing would bring us together again." She looked forward and closed her eyes. You separated us in the first place, all." The darkly clad man looked back at her, motionless, just hearing the Cetra. Sephiroth had not harmed her. He never really had. Except for the time he 'killed' her.

_He came from above, watching her far in the floor of the altar, kneeled, praying for Holy, praying to save the Planet… from him. He didn't want to kill her. She was the only one who he felt most related to before. But he was being controlled, and there was nothing he could do to stop himself from killing the Cetra. And in a second more, he was impaling her. Her life passing by him, by the sword he held in his hands._

* * *

Suddenly, Cid knocks Squall back. The SeeD gritted his teeth and charged back, and again, Cid blocked his attack.

"So, what was her name, boy?" He asked, making Squall almost angry with the sudden question. Once again, Squall goes for the attack, but Cid just laughs while blocking and dodging.

* * *

Cloud kicked the door of the red room with his knee since the door made it quite clear it wouldn't open. They had knocked on the wooden door to see if the flower girl, once from the Slums, would reply but the room remained in silence. Thinking that they might find something that could help them know where the girl was, Cloud kicked the door and it burst open, letting them in.

"Careful! We don't wanna break anything here!" Yuffie said in a sigh, Cloud rolled his eyes and rushed into the room followed by the two girls. "I wonder where she is… unless!"

"Anything we need to know?" Rinoa asked the ninja, now worried about Cloud, who she felt was almost collapsing with the thought of something happening to the girl they talked about.

"Maybe she's with Leon!" Yuffie jumped slightly. They looked at the materia thief.

* * *

Aerith stood with a flower in her hand and turned to face him. He stood there with the darkness all around him. One black wing was revealed from his back. He stretched it letting some black feather fly in the wind. He's come to take her. She's still upset, but she feels it's meant to be this way. She had seen him one more time after so long without him. She had met him. That was more than enough. He was with the 'woman in blue' and he seemed glad with her, he didn't need her anymore. Smiling, she hands Sephiroth the little yellow flower.

* * *

"Are you done now? I'm starting to get tired." Cid asked resting his spear. Squall was panting, looking at him with his blue eyes, his sword down. _How does he do that?_ He thought to himself, passing the back of his hand by his forehead to clean some sweat drops that had formed while fighting. Squall placed his sword back in his belt and sighed heavily.

"I'm gonna fight no more with you." He said coolly to the blond man in front of him. Cid grinned and nodded.

"Good, because my back can't take it anymore!" Cid said putting a hand on his back and rubbing it. He laughed then. "You're pretty good with that thing kid!" He said pointing to his sword."

* * *

Yuffie was leading the two towards the training cave. She found it quite strange no one was at the hotel, so they could only be in one place. Cloud followed quietly and asking no questions, hoping it was now he could be reunited again with the only woman he needed right in that moment. As for Rinoa, all of that was new. Those people who seemed so different from her friends and yet so similar. That new world. She kept walking, following them, and entering a small door who would lead them to another room which she could notice was large, she saw it was empty, she noticed the water flowing next to them, the grey floor under her steps and then, her eyes caught him.

A white feather came down from the air, appearing there in that same place as a sign. Cloud looked up, noticing it. It came floating down to his hand. He caught it and held it in his strong hand.

"Aerith…"

* * *

For my friend May…


	9. Distance

**Distance**

Cloud opened his piercing blue eyes slowly , only to find another pair of blue eyes blinking not too far from him. The waking man laying down on the floor beside the ex-soldier had a confused expression on his face as he stood there figuring out why in the planet he was there and most important, next to that man. As their thoughts got into place both men stood up, jumping for their lives. They both drew their swords out and froze there, glaring at each other.

"You!" Squall was the first one to groan. Cloud frowned an eyebrow and sqweezed his sword on his hands strongly. Somehow something was telling him he could trust the new-guy but in another hand, he was threatening him with a gunsword and his first ideal of a speech wasn't the most kind.

"Have we met before?" The blond man asked but instead of an answer he got an attack atempt if it wasn't to be blocked by Squall's opponent. "Hey! What did I ever do to you!"

"Oh don't make me laugh…" Squall said between gritted teeth. He jumped for the enemy again and a metal sound echoed from the place that none of them had realized they were in.

"I seriously don't know what your problem is." Cloud kept blocking the attacks until the cold gun-sword hit his arm, making a tiny cut that started bleeding lightly. This made Cloud change his attitude, now it was his time to attack and so he went for it but Squall was agile too, avoiding the furious attacks of the blond man. Squall smirked, now he had captured his attention. Loud sword blocks were heard from behind a bush nearby the place the two were fighting for no specific reason. The young blue eyes of a boy shined while watching the two in amazement. Squall placed all his strength in the last blow of his sword and the metal block made Cloud's huge sword fly all the way to the bush were the young boy was kneeled, but he was in time to crawl back till his back hit a tree. He opened his eyes, thinking he was dead, but the sword was vertically stuck on the ground inches from him, between his legs.

"Aaahh!" The boy screamed looking at the huge sword standing still in front of him. Squall, who now had his gunblade pointed at Cloud's face turned his own face to look at the place where the scream had came, followed by Cloud's eyes. They both ran up to the green bush hoping the sword hadn't killed anyone while going down. It was then they saw a blond head with teary eyes looking up at them. "I-I didn't mean to spy…!" Was all the boy said. Cloud picked up his sword away from the boy as Squall helped him get up from the floor.

"Sorry about that." The ex-soldier apologized looking a little worried he had scared the boy to death. "Are you ok?"

"Yes!" The boy nodded. Although his voice was firm, his knees were shaking like canes on the wind. "I'm Tidus… I'm training to become a swordsman so one day I can kill all those black devils that torment my island. Destiny Island." The two men could notice the boy's hands shaking, not of fear but of rage. "I'll get those heartless one day and kill them all!"

"Hey.. hold on there kid! Leave that job to us." Squall said patting the boy's head. Seeing that from the man that tried to kill Cloud minutes ago was pretty shocking for him.

"You could teach me some techniques!" Tidus' lips formed a grin of wonder. "Come on! I bet my friend Wakka would love to meet ya! Come with me!"

"For what it's worth, I won the battle." Squall said to Cloud in a smirk.

"No you didn't." Cloud replied. "You didn't finish me off. Plus, we were interrupted."

"You really thought I would kill you?"

"Humm.. geez I don't know.." Cloud replied sarcastically.

"Please, I have better things to waste my energy on."

"And I have better things to think about than defending myself from you."

"HEY WAKKA! COME MEET THE NEW DUDES I JUST FOUND!" The men were interrupted, once again, by Tidus' voice, while walking behind him. Suddenly, they saw a little red head running quickly to them.

"Yo Tidus!" Wakka greeted. "Whatcha talkin' about?"

"These are.. err what are your names again?" Tidus scratched the back of his head.

"I'm Squall."

"Cloud here." _I swear I heard his name before… _

"Yeah well! I saw them fighting! They were the best! Those moves! And what a technique! They could teach us a lot about swords I tell ya!" Tidus excitedly exclaimed.

"Heyhey! Wait a minute there. We have no time to waste here. We need to find a way out back to Traverse town." Squall informed them hoping they wouldn't get any ideas.

"Awwh please?" The two kids exclaimed at the same time. "We'll help you out but teach us something first!"

The two men exchanged looks and sighed. What could they do…

-------------------------

A flash. A fall. A scream. A landing…

"Aaaaahhhhhhh!" A scream was heard across the deep jungle as a woman fell down from a tree to the dense green floor of the jungle making a loud thud as she hit the ground. "I didn't want to use any bad words but this shit really hurt my back!" Yuffie replied getting up and cleaning her clothes from the green leaves that were glued.

"It's ok. We're in firm ground now." The woman in blue giggled helping her get up.

"Where are we?" Yuffie asked looking around the trees.

"I'd say we are in a deep jungle." Rinoa answered smiling and looking around as well.

"How can we get out of here?" Yuffie asked.

"I don't know." Rinoa answered. "Guess we have to find a way.

"Does anybody live here?" Yuffie asked.

"Hum… Doesn't look like it." Rinoa answered.

"Did you hear that sound?" Yuffie stopped and stared at the direction she had heard some bushes waving.

"Nope…" Rinoa continued walking.

"You know… I think the reason why we are here is the feather Cloud caught." Yuffie confessed as she walked behind Rinoa, with the corner of her eye still on the place she thought she heard someone moving.

"Really? Why do you think that?" Rinoa asked looking back at the ninja.

"I heard about some objects that are transporters between worlds. Cid told me. They are rare but they hold black magic inside so they must be up to no good. They transfer people from one world to another just by touching it." Yuffie explained. "One minute you are about to try this tasty ice-cream and the next second you are caught by a wave right in the shore of a beach! BAM! Water in your face." The two girls laughed but as they did, they noticed they weren't the only ones doing it, as a louder, high pitched laugh was heard echoing through the trees.

"Ok… What was that?" Rinoa asked motionless.

"You might not wanna look back… and probably start running." Yuffie whispered with a terrified expression on her face. "Run Rinny ruuuuuuuun!" She exclaimed as the two started running away.

-------------------

"I saw him you know… After all this time. I found him." She started. "And thanks to you… I'm here and we couldn't meet."

"You saw him with another woman." The white haired man smirked.

"He wasn't doing anything you know. She could be a friend." Aerith defended the man she loved, not wanting to believe another story.

"They were hugging. You don't know what might have happened next…" Sephiroth continued, looking up at the sky.

"Guess I'll never know." Aerith looked down at the floor. "I know what you are doing… Trying to fill my head with nonsense. Cloud was looking for me, I know it! He wouldn't do that to me. Take me to him…" This time, she showed him determination in her eyes and to his surprise, something he wasn't expecting, rage. She was mad at him. He never thought he would live to see that emotion in her, towards him. "Take me to him!" She yelled as she jumped forward and punched him on the chest. "You cruel son of a bitch! I was metres away from him! Me calling his name was enough for us to meet!" She continued punching his chest as tears started streaming down her face, contracted with furiousness. "Take me to him, take me to him, TAKE ME TO HIM!" She yelled. He only held her electric arms, trying to control her body to calm her down. She slowly started to pause as their bodies led to a hug. She cried, holding him tightly. "I hate you."

"You'll thank me for this one day." He only said, caressing the back of her head as she cried.

--------------------

Cid ran panting. His spear on his hands.

"Damn these creatures." He muttered as he fled. A small amount of heartless chased him closely behind. Sure he could end them smoothly, if it wasn't for the fact that they kept coming from everywhere no matter what. Suddenly several gunshots were heard from behind, which made him stop and turn back to see a man with long brown hair and a cowboy hat and a long cream coat aiming for the creatures. On his right the sound of a whip echoed on the once busy streets of Agrabah, as a blonde woman with glasses waved it on the fight.

"Bang! They're gone." The man blinked on eye and turned to look at Cid.

"Follow us." The woman said. Confused, Cid ran after the two through the tight streets full of destroyed huts with food and artefacts scattered around the ground. _Better trust this people than be killed by the heartless. _

_---------------------------------_

"Do you have gummi ships here?" Squall asked the two kids, "Because we really need to get out of here."

"Gummi what?" Tidus asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Don't tell me you don't know what that is." Squall replied shaking his head as the boys shrugged their shoulders.

"Perfect. Just perfect." The man sighed. "Stuck in the middle of an island without anything to make us leave."

"I wonder what brought us here in the first place!" Cloud said, looking around at the beach. Suddenly he noticed something that wasn't there before. A boat. A boat right in the middle of the sea, two miles away from the shore.

--------------------

Sorry about the late update!


	10. Remember me

Chapter 10

Remember me 

"HA!" Yuffie exclaimed grinning as she rolled the last screw in place and closed, in a squeak, the small sort of plastic cover of a small engine which surface was a simple red round button and a thin screen. "You can now call me, Yuffie, the great! Or, or Yuffie the greatest ninja! Oh- or Yuffie, the ninja who is the master! Or, oh this one is good! Yuffie, the sexiest, smartest, drop dead gorgeous, greatest scientist slash ninja of all times!" She put her hands on her waist and grinned dreamily at the sky.

"Aammm…" Rinoa blinked as she looked up at the girl. "May I know why?"

"Well, duh!" Yuffie sat down again next to Rinoa. "What have we been doing for the past, like, five hours or something?"

"Humm… Getting tummy aches by all the fruit we've been eating in this God forsaken jungle?"

"Rinny….!" Yuffie called. "Weren't you paying attention to what I was doing? Do you see this thing?" Yuffie extended her arm and opened her hand to show Rinoa the small gadget she had been focused on. Rinoa stared at it for a moment and looked back at the ninja shrinking her shoulders. "Well…" Yuffie sighed. "This is none-other than a teleporter, which means, our way out of this God forsaken jungle!"

"Really??" Rinoa aimed for the small teleporter and held it in her hands. Yuffie shrieked and quickly stole it back from her friend.

"Are you out of your mind?" The ninja started. "This took me hours to fix you saw it! Oh how I paid attention to what actually Cid was talking about when he explained how all those machines worked I still don't know but I think him for explaining, you know! Everything I learned by spending time with Cid I used it to fix this little button right here!"

"Yes, but how did you get that thing?" Rinoa asked amazed.

"I found it in one of the many trips we did around the worlds trying new gummi ships! I never new what it was for until Cid told me it was a teleporter! But since we always travelled by gummi ship, we never really got a chance to use it! Plus, he said this thing contains some sort of magic that will eventually run out so we have to use it carefully and wisely! I tried pushing the button by the way but it did nothing and that's why we've been sitting here, so I could try and fix it."

"Well… does it work?" Rinoa's eyes widened.

"I think so!" Yuffie replied. "Only one way to find out!"

Yuffie swallowed dry, she nervously placed the palm of her right hand above the button, holding the teleporter with her left hand. She looked down at it and—

"WAIT!" Rinoa asked making Yuffie jump back, slip on a leave and fall on her back.

"Ouch!" Yuffie cried on the floor. "What was that for?"

"I'm sorry!" Rinoa couldn't help laughing as she helped her friend up. "I was just wondering you should give me your hand just in case it only teleports you!"

"Ah, right! Almost forget about that! Weew! I almost left you alone here! Haha haaaa…" Yuffie laughed nervously.

"Ok… Ready?" Rinoa asked. Yuffie nodded, Rinoa pressed the button.

* * *

"Who's that boat from?" Squall asked the young boys.

"Hummm… I think I've seen its' owner around here. Long silver hair, long thin sword, tall man… Not the most talkative person though." Tidus answered.

"What did you say?" Cloud froze, staring at the boy.

""Hummm… I think I've seen its' owner around here. Long silver hair, long thin sword, tall man… Not the most talkative person though." The boy repeated, Squall rolled his eyes and looked at cloud.

"Do you know him?"

"I think so. Is he here?"

"I dunno man. I hope not. That guy gimme the creeps ya know?" Wakka answered shaking his head.

"How can we get there? To the boat?" Cloud asked.

"Well, we have other boats shipped around but they have their owners, I guess if we talk to one of them! Or you could try swimming!" Tidus informed the men.

"Swimming? Are you crazy or something? Do ya know the distance? Do ya know there are sharks? Lots of 'em!" Wakka shrieked at his friend.

"Well I'm just trying to help them you big baby!" Tidus replied.

"Why you little—

"Never mind!" Squall interrupted loudly. "We're not going there!"

"I'm sorry, do you make the decisions around here now?" Cloud started.

"And just when did we agreed that YOU would make the decisions around here exactly?" Squall replied back in a glare.

"I believe that was agreed since the very beginning."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"Well, I guess we have to change that don't we?" Squall held his gun-sword in his hands preparing for battle with Cloud, who smirked and returned the gesture with his long huge sword. The boys blinked and ran away to a safe distance.

* * *

"I'm tired of being here." Aerith confessed, getting up from the flowered floor. "I want to go. Let me go. LET ME GO!" She yelled at the silver haired figure who stood there, looking at her.

"You're free to leave anytime you want." Sephiroth answered calmly.

"You're insane!" Aerith replied losing her patience. "If I'm free to leave, why did you take me away and bring me here?"

"I told you it wasn't time for you to see him yet. I need his total darkness. The more he stays away from you, the stronger his darkness gets, the stronger I get."

"You're forgetting something." Aerith looked down so he couldn't see her eyes, hands closed tightly, shaking.

"And what is that?" Sephiroth smirked.

"I'm made of light. And the light always wins over darkness." With that a medium sized sharp staff appeared between Aerith's hands, and as quickly as it came, she leaned forward. In a clean sudden move, the tip of the staff pierced through Sephiroth's skin, showing up again out of his back. Sephiroth's eyes widened in cold pain as he fell on his knees with Aerith.

"Now, we're even." She whispered in his ear, tears in her eyes. She vanished.

* * *

Cloud felt a strong piercing pain striking his chest, taking away his breath as he kneeled on the floor gasping for air.

"What?! I didn't even attack?" Squall exclaimed in a confused expression towards the blond man. "What's wrong? Can you hear me? Oi!" He called, this time kneeling down before the man in pain, placing one hand on his shoulder, which was abruptly shock away by Cloud's arm. "Hey man!" Squall yelled getting up.

"I-" Cloud managed to say. "I'm ok." But he wasn't. He had felt it before a long time ago. Something was wrong. Sephiroth wasn't there, but he was near, and in pain. Aerith… He remembered her smile and smiled back at the memory. That pain wasn't about the small light still inside him. It was the dark part. It was restless, battling to come out in its full strength. Hope was getting further and further away. He sat up and looked at the sky, breathing heavily, the pain was drifting away but the weight on his chest wasn't. He needed piece.

"Wherever you go… I'll be with you." He whispered at the smiling girl in pink he could see in his mind.

A white flash suddenly appeared without warning in front of the two men on the beach. As it faded they could see the silhouettes of the two women they both new so well.

"Gimme that!" Yuffie yelled, reaching for the teleporter high on Rinoa's hand, laughing at the great ninja. "Now I wanna press it!"

Squall gasped at the woman he was seeing in front of him, back turned at him, but those small white wings on the light blue vest were unforgettable. _Rinoa…_The woman in blue, as if guessing, turned slowly around, looking around at where they had turned up. Slowly, her heart beating madly inside her chest, she saw Squall, just as she remembered him, except for the expression on his eyes. He had always been serious, closed, unreadable, but now, he also seemed angry and even more distant. Time stopped right that moment as she was looking at the man she always loved and thought had lost forever. Tears started filling her eyes. One step forward, followed by another as it turned into a run that seemed taking forever. As she reached the man, her arms opened wide to hold him.

"Squall…" She managed to say between sobs. She held his body tightly, not letting go, she didn't want to, not anymore. Despite the anger of what he had seen a couple of days earlier, he couldn't help but give in, just for a moment, just for that moment after so long, but to return the embrace he was longing for. "I thought I would never see you again." Rinoa said after a while of breathing back his smell, his touch. He was finally there.

"You were kind of hoping for that weren't you?" Squall coolly said, parting from the embrace. "Why don't you go hug your new friend over there?" He pointed at Cloud. "Bet you miss him to."

"What… are you talking about?" Rinoa asked in awe, eyes widened at the man standing in front of her.

"You know… I had the privilege of watching this same scene you just did here but it wasn't me you were holding." Squall answered, fire in his eyes so full of rage.

"Squall…" Rinoa looked back. Cloud and Yuffie were at a far distance away from the two so to give them some privacy. "I asked Cloud for help when I met him, so I could find you."

"And in the way you seem to have grown into him right?" Squall asked, looking away from her eyes.

"What are you talking about? You saw me hugging Cloud? You were there? You had seen me!"

"I wished I haven't!"

"Squall!" Rinoa cried. "Don't say those things to me! Why are you acting like that? After all I've been trough to find you!" Rinoa cleaned her teary eyes with the back of her hand. "I asked Cloud for help because he was looking for someone too! I had been alone for so long, I needed help! But I never gave up on you! On us!"

Squall listened, not saying a word.

"We all need something to hold on Squall…" Rinoa cried. "I couldn't be alone anymore. All I asked for, was his help. Please…" She placed one hand around his arm and gently pulled him to look at her. She leaned forward again to embrace him, this time he placed his forehead on hers and sighed placing his hands around her face.

"I believe you. I'm sorry if I overreacted. It's just how I am." Squall started. "But things aren't as they used to be anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I need time to think. I promise you now that we're together we'll never be apart again, but give me time to clear my mind."

"But Squall—"

"Please…" He leaned forward and kissed her lips softly. "I love you, but I can't be with you right now."


End file.
